A recent autumn storm caused the destruction of the metal goal fame in our garden. The small goal with the weather-beaten net had fallen into disuse. But I liked it seeing it there on the grass. I suppose I half-expected, half-hoped, it would be used again. Once, it was a father and son thing and had been constructed carefully from a nice set of plans. At the time, it impressed both son and daughter no end. But that was then, this was now.
One of our trees, blown over by the recent high winds, caused the goal frame’s final demise. As I unscrewed the twisted metal I thought of the hours of innocent fun it had given us. It had been the scene of many goals and not a few great saves. My son, who is soon off to uni, smiled thoughtfully as I mentioned that this was the end of the ‘goalposts of childhood’. Perhaps he knew what I meant.
My own childhood goalposts had been ‘doon the back’. Drawn with chalk on the red brick of the ‘sausage wall’ at one end, and on part of the ‘wash hoose’ at the other. Many a league, Cup and international match was played out between those goals on the Dennistoun dirt. We once put on a parallel version of a historic England v Scotland match while the real match was being played at Wembley. Jim Mone sitting on one of the dykes had a transister radio to his ear. As we played our match he chalked up live score updates on the wall — our Twitter and FaceBook anno 1967. What a day.
We did use a pile of jackets up on the old Dennistoun cricket pitch, but only rarely. Mostly, we played on the red gravel surface at the Finlay Drive entrance. That pitch was fitted with real goalposts — like the ones they had at Hampden. Or so we imagined.
These sentimental memories of receding years accompanied my removal of the ruined metal goal frame. But, as you can imagine, it seemed an almost symbolic act. For fans of Scottish football the ‘goalposts’ that once defined the game of our football childhoods — have not only been moved, they’ve been been twisted and mis-shapen out of all recognition.
The past decades have seen a fundamental change in the way our game is run and governed, at home and abroad. Money is now king and sporting consideration is a luxury we sometimes have to put to one side — or at least, so we’re told.
At the risk of stating the obvious, sport, if it is to mean anything at all, has to be based on clearly defined rules and principles. These rules must be applied equally to all the participants, they are certainly not optional extras. However, to misquote and paraphrase George Orwell, ‘all teams are equal, but some teams are more equal than others’ — at least, when it comes to Scottish football.
The efforts by the SFA to re-interpret rules to fit the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the demise of Rangers FC in 2012 have left most of us scratching our heads. Much of the Scottish media has backed up the SFA’s efforts, something which has added to the general confusion and chaos. In fact, it’s become clear that the death of Rangers, as we knew them, has been such a traumatic event that it must be denied. The authorities and media seem to have been so besotted with one club that its loss is out of the question. And so, it’s been gifted a bizarre kind of immunity from liquidation and death that implies its on-going existence, long after it drew it’s final breath.
This situation has opened the door to a legion of businessmen on the make. They have been allowed to perpetuate the myth, with SFA blessing, that they ‘saved’ Rangers. And their unwavering message is, that they can only succeed if fans keep giving them their hard-earned cash. To those outside the blue bubble it looks like a huge con trick. If the only source of real money in football is the fans, then the Ibrox faithful have been royally fleeced.
How different it could have been if the former club had been allowed a dignified end. A year out of the game would probably have allowed fans to restart a newco of their own. They could have applied for entry into the professional leagues along with the other clubs waiting in line. Chances are they would have been given special dispensation, and walked straight into the bottom tier. Of course, they would have claimed to be the continuation of the spirit of the previous entity — but would anyone have argued against that? How different it could have been if the rules governing the game had been respected. The SFA may even have kept their dignity intact and the press not felt obliged to print half-truths, falsehoods and lies.
You’ve got to wonder why Dunfermline and Hearts fought so desperately to avoid liquidation. After all, the Scottish football authorities now seem intent on convincing us that liquidation has little or no effect on a football club. Even past sins, such as wrongly-registered players are as naught — if, at the time, they were thought to have been registered correctly. By this logic, we have to ask: if a ‘company’ running a ‘club’ bribes a referee, will retrospective action will be taken against the ‘club’. The players and the club, after all, will have done nothing wrong. And since the referee was not known to have been bribed, and not struck off, he was qualified to referee the match in question, at the time. Using the SFA thought process, the result would probably be allowed to stand. Personally, I’m not sure I follow SFA logic. They’ve ‘moved the goalposts’, and (you saw it coming) bent them into an unrecognisable shape.
Which brings me back to our garden. The old metal goal frame is waiting to be driven down to the local re-cycling centre. The twisted metal and worn-out net are useless. Ruined by forces beyond our control. There is no interest in a replacement at present. Perhaps, if we have grandchildren, they will show an interest in football. If they do, I’ll build a new set of goalposts. They’ll be straight and true, the way the goalposts of childhood should be. The way goalposts should always be.
Only just come online 5 mins ago but as soon as I came onto TSFM I got notice from my Norton of a web attack on my PC. Anyone else getting it? Probably unconnected but time given ties up with coming on here.
scapaflow
Just popped onto the VBs site and they haven’t changed. To be honest, I had no expectations in that direction.
http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/a-brief-glimpse-into-the-future.html
You have to worry about a group that refuses to accept that the death of Rangers happened, whilst simultaneously putting up an image of a ouija board, designed to contact Scottish football which, according to the VBs is suffering from mismanagement and corruption (it is in fact not only alive but is ticking along very nicely, despite the meddling from the SFA). Certainly the top division has barely noticed that they’ve gone, whilst the lower divisions are not showing any distress at having to deal with the replacement club.
Lord Wobbly says:
January 18, 2014 at 3:19 pm
I find it inexplicable
Doing the same thing over and again and expecting a different result is either insanity or the Rangers way, depending on your place on the politico-scocio-economic-generational spectrum
Listening to ‘open all mikes’ on radio Scotland .
Chic Young commented that he thought it was a disgrace the ban given to Ayrs Moffat in comparison to Black. There was embarrassed silence from everyone else then Rob McLean asked if he was finished.
Billy Dodds eventually said he agreed with Chic but you could almost smell the fear among the pundits.
They know the consequences, it’s happened to another Scottish club, and that one was in the top league.
scapaflow says:
January 18, 2014 at 2:50 pm
ecobhoy says:
January 18, 2014 at 2:39 pm
Anyone looking to do a doctoral thesis? Eco has an idea for you
“Tribalism Resurgent: Political, Socio-economic and Generational Change,in Glasgow and its Manifestation in Football Fans” 😆
==============================================
My vision is broader than Glasgow 😆 😆
Eco
I know they are, but the vistas in Academia are very narrow
So Sportsound extra – Rangers players refuse to take 15% pay cut.
Remind any of you of a few years back?
Here we go.
Step forward Fraser Wishart.
Oh and Law I did warn you. ❗
ecobhoy says:
January 18, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Great post.
I hope your buddy and those who think like him win out in the end.
Mods,
Thanks for info re possible bug, or rather not-possible bug, thought it might be some mutation of rangersness into bugness 😳
Listening to the discussion on BBC Scotland just now.
Again we are getting the talk about needing Rangers in the SPFL Premiership to make competition at the top. Someone to compete with Celtic to win it.
Do these people really believe that Rangers would compete to win the SPFL. I haven’t seen anything to suggest that.
Slim
How strange that well fans feel BM is the most bizzare referee when it come to decisions against us. Even the Motherwell mad commentators on MFC tv thought the red card a joke.
I Guess real football with real tackles is now beyond the pale?
slimshady61 says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Speirs & Jackson – the tools not to trust.
😆
Chapeau sir, chapeau
Tiff,
Hang on, wait a minute. I have no doubt a resurgent RFCnew could be competitive, their fan base would demand it. That is not the point at issue. The key point is they should not be assisted to a position to achieve this, and they deserve every scrutiny to make sure they when they do so they do so in a sustainable manner for themselves and those round about them.
What are the rules re press conferences? Is it only paid up journalists that can attend, is it by invite only or could blogs such as this send someone to ask the questions that our SMSM are either afraid or don’t have the gumption to?
For instance the Tom English article in last Wednesdays Scotsman asked plenty of good obvious questions but how many have been asked at any of the press conferences since??
May be impossible and would take someone with a lot of bottle but may be the best and highest profile way of asking the questions the media won’t
The level of “analysis” shown by Keith Jackson tonight on the BBC regarding the demise of RFC and the response of the football authorities in 2012 really was Work Experience stuff.
Awful….
CliffHanger says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:54 pm
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What are the rules re press conferences? Is it only paid up journalists that can attend, is it by invite only or could blogs such as this send someone to ask the questions that our SMSM are either afraid or don’t have the gumption to?
For instance the Tom English article in last Wednesdays Scotsman asked plenty of good obvious questions but how many have been asked at any of the press conferences since??
May be impossible and would take someone with a lot of bottle but may be the best and highest profile way of asking the questions the media won’t
==============================================
Well now Cliff h
Very good question very very good..
Anyone on here with press credentials?
Ill hold yer jaikaet and provide the getaway car.
Tif Finn says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:23 pm
Listening to the discussion on BBC Scotland just now.
Again we are getting the talk about needing Rangers in the SPFL Premiership to make competition at the top. Someone to compete with Celtic to win it.
——
Funnily enough, i was thinking to myself today that it would be even better if Celtic weren’t in it either.
Nothing against Celtic, but if they did win that dream move to England then the signs are that we’d have an excellent top division here. Plenty goals, exciting games, the right kind of controversy (i.e. football-based).
Several teams seem to have found a confidence this season which I believe at least partly springs from only getting one set of hidings a season instead of two. Imagine if they actually had a chance of winning the League rather than aiming for second best.
OT
TSFM – term of endearment … kind of, I guess, in a patronising sort of way. 🙂
CliffHanger says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:54 pm
The people staging the Presser get to say who attends.
They also can select those who can ask questions-although the “free for all” is more normal these days.
Pressers can be sector specific (Dailies, Sundays, Broadcast etc).
Celtic once made a decent first of trying to keep me out of their AGM Presser in 2011.
They failed and I got to ask the difficult questions that they feared I would ask of their CEO…
😆
Why is the default position for some in the MSM that it must be Rangers that offer the challenge to Celtic. (Or most likely vice versa had roles been reverse)
Just because the last couple of decades have been so limited in terms of challengers doesn’t mean it must always be thus.
They work on the basis that Rangers are a much stronger club and by extension team than they actually are.
This is based on the apparent strength of the previous incarnation. However that is ignoring the level of cheating they indulged in to maintain their position. The cheating allowed them to have a stronger squad than they could afford. That provided the opportunity of European football and income, which propagated the myth. The classic snowball effect.
The reality is that Rangers, as they were structured were a heavy loss making business without that European football. The whole thing collapsed when McCoist spectacularly managed to throw that income away.
Getting the new club into a position to break even is going to be hard enough, and that has to happen before they can even think about anything else.
slimshady61 says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Speirs & Jackson – the tools not to trust.
__________________________________
Or maybe just – the tools
Jackson used two interesting expressions tonight on BBC Scotland Sportsound.
One of them, in relation to his assertion that the ‘Football authorities had removed’ competition in the SPFL, was to ‘this being like ‘cutting off their noses to spite their face’
What that tells me about the man is that he is happy to pervert both sport and truth , using a communications medium paid for by all of us, to piss on our demand that there should be no room for sporting or financial cheats or complicit , perverted football ‘authorities’ who lie in order to accommodate them.
The other phrase he used gave an insight into the deepest,darkest, nightmarish fears that people who deny the facts are haunted by, beneath the brash exterior carapace.
That phrase was uttered when he opined that ” there are lots of people who won’t be happy until Ibrox is razed to the ground’
The man is clearly a psychological basket case, but of the kind that deserves not our sympathy but our contempt and scorn.
Ibrox may or may not be razed to the ground as a consequence of the fiscal incompetence/mismanagement of its Board of directors.
That would in itself be an incidental, a thing of no moment whatsoever in the grand scheme of things.
The truly important thing is that we have a Football Administration which countenances cheating and the promotion and defence of those who cheat.
Now, if the price of the restoration of Sporting Integrity to our game was the death and extinction of an illegitimate club, and the ‘razing to the ground’ of its stadium, it would actually be a price worth paying.
Particularly if it also meant an end to the careers of the Jacksons, Keevins, and the rest of the truth-deniers.
In my quiet opinion.
John, I don’t mind the fact that Jackson et al spout tosh on air, I mind that they are allowed to do so unchallenged, and with out anyone being able to put the case for rationality.
Maybe the broadcasters can’t find anyone, or maybe they think that winding up the audience will improve the listening figures, either way its hardly in the Reithian tradition
scapaflow says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:54 pm
“either way its hardly in the Reithian tradition”
__________________________________
Maybe they maintain the Struthian tradition though?
Phil I take it that your not invited to too many pressers at Hampden or Ibrox then!
I find it so frustrating that McCoist’s pathetic comments on Friday are simply passed on without any questioning. Even if someone had asked him to repeat his answers it would have been interesting as I doubt he could have remembered what he was saying, if I didn’t know better I’d think the whole thing was a spoof.
When Jim Whyte asked Laudrup why was he so good it was a cringe-wowy moment but sadly it’s the norm for our SMSM when in Govan
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:13 pm
CliffHanger says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:54 pm
The people staging the Presser get to say who attends.
They also can select those who can ask questions-although the “free for all” is more normal these days.
Pressers can be sector specific (Dailies, Sundays, Broadcast etc).
Celtic once made a decent first of trying to keep me out of their AGM Presser in 2011.
They failed and I got to ask the difficult questions that they feared I would ask of their CEO…
++++++++++++++++++++
So Phil
is the whole idea a no go?
Allyjambo says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:57 pm
I’d have Glen Gibbons on, but I don’t think he would do it.
The basic problem is the journos, how can they report on the new reality, when they haven’t got the intellectual wherewithal to be able to accept that the old certainties have gone forever?
Ah , sado-masochism returns to TSFM . Why does anyone listen to , or read , anything by Jackson ? The guy is a pub league journalist , not fit for purpose and still people tune in whenever he’s on .
Write to his employer about his substandard journalism , turn the radio off when he’s on and stick the Daily Record on the bottom of your cats’ litter tray . He’ll go away eventually .
scapaflow says:
January 18, 2014 at 8:05 pm
“The basic problem is the journos, how can they report on the new reality, when they haven’t got the intellectual wherewithal to be able to accept that the old certainties have gone forever?”
_________________________________________________________
You’ve just written their CVs for them 😀
And the sad thing is; you really have written their CVs for them!
Could we call our own online press conference?
Ecobhoy 1pm
Your thnking teddy bear came up with the only rational conclusion possible.
The heart is for pumping blood and the brain for thinking, not the reverse.
Of course it is the emotional attachment to Ibrox that allows others a hold over 40k plus supporters whose heart says we do not do walking away whilst the brain shouts ” oi- thinking is my job.
A while back I thought a new Gers should have set up shop at Hampden ( they have officials there already after all) but the Commonwealth games ruled that out. Firhill as a ground share until Hampden is available would be attractive to Thistle I imagine.
That may yet come to pass as Rangers fans begin to recognise the reality of their situation and good luck if it does but the king’s horses and king’s men need to be told the egg cannot be unscrambled and to whisk themselves away.
Rivalry without the poison, that should be the mantra not bring back toxicity.
Today I met a couple who are Celtic supporters visiting the UK for a break. We had a great blether and tasty lunch and went to the game where we parted as new found family friends.
Watched the game in a good atmosphere with a good crowd where Motherwell made a fist of it ( lets not mention what Mr Madden made) and enjoyed the whole day. Surely that is how football should be in a society that purports to be civil?
Are we to surrender that kind of good experience for “competitive” football when they really mean regular Hatefests?
john clarke says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:38 pm
Whole heartedly agree, John. Jackson is nothing more than a mouthpiece for vacuous opinion that quite simply is not in the interest of the Rangers support to hear – namely it’s everyone else’s fault. Its the SFA’s, it’s Scottish football’s fault – everyone hates us, and we’ve been punished unfairly. This really doesn’t help Rangers fans move on, which I know for the huge majority on here couldn’t give a damn but it’s far easier for the support to blame everyone else than take any meaningful action. However, my point to people who say why listen to this on SSB, Sportsound, whatever bollox spouted is ;
a) its useful to hear from the horses ass -sorry- mouth, first, in its full unedited context.
b) to hear first hand how much public broadcasting is being dragged to astonishing depths by people who purport to specialise in sports journalism, but instead display a despicable disregard for the truth or facts surrounding Rangers/The Rangers and allowed to continue to do so..
c) to try to understand that for many supporters these Radio stations are their sole source of information if not from one of the pundits news rags.
d) to help me learn tolerance, patience and to not throw my 56th radio against a wall.
e) prove there really is an unwillingness/fear in the media to talk about what actually happened to Rangers in liquidation.
wottpi says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:21 pm
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Why is the default position for some in the MSM that it must be Rangers that offer the challenge to Celtic. (Or most likely vice versa had roles been reverse)
Just because the last couple of decades have been so limited in terms of challengers doesn’t mean it must always be thus.
*************************************
It is a fact that for the ‘last couple of decades’, Scotland’s football, at the highest level, has been false.
We need to move on and leave this false time behind and, if possible, the perpetrators behind.
ianagain says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Anyone on here with press credentials?
Ill hold yer jaikaet and provide the getaway car.
___________________________________________________________–
You’d still need accreditation though, from the hosts. In addition, there is a wee bit of bullying goes on at pressers. Celtic have a media session first (BBC, etc with cameras) then the dailies have a sit down, and then the Sundays. Pecking order is very much the culture. The first of these is usually the east hostile to newcomers – although snappers are sometimes homicidal about their pitch.
In general, these guys are not temperate dedicated professional types. They are a heaving mass of testosterone, under-achievement and resentment. Fisticuffs are common (not actually at the pressers of course), and score settling is often the first priority of many.
I’ve seen fanzine editors being invited to pressers by clubs and being treated with disdain and open hostility by some of the Guardians of Moral Fibre who populate our screens, radios and back pages. It would take a fair bit of enlargement of the cojones if ne of our number should tread on that carpet 🙂
I was listening to Sportsound Extra earlier and heard the excitable Celtic supporting chap who phoned in, was just about allowed to say his piece (that Rangers had died) and was then somewhat chastised for having done so (and the inference that those who continued to insist on promoting the fact of Rangers were tiresome).
To the SMSM.
The fact that people, like the aforementioned chap, feel the need to phone in and insist on repeating the reality of Rangers demise, is entirely down to you (and the football authorities) and your inability to tell the bare truth of the matter. It is your very insistence on fudging the issue that irks the majority of fans. And I can assure you that it is not just Celtic fans. I have no hesitation in stating that fans of all clubs are appalled at the way the media and football authorities continue their wilfully obtuse approach when it comes to tackling the issue of Rangers demise. Yes there are instances, such as Graham Spiers, who will at least state that Rangers suffered liquidation. But as long as the issue is continually fudged, instead of the facts being laid bare, the longer you will have to deal with those who demand the truth.
Let me put it another way. This site wouldn’t be here if the authorities and the SMSM had dealt with, and reported, Rangers demise correctly. Like Rangers, the SMSM have no one to blame but themselves.
john clarke says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:38 pm
That phrase was uttered when he opined that ” there are lots of people who won’t be happy until Ibrox is razed to the ground’
————————————————————————————————————
To be fair John he was probably referring to Damille Investments
😈
ianagain says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Thanks for the offer but you can put the getaway car back in the garage as looks as though we’ll not be getting an invite!!
Referring back to Regan’s comments in the SMSM this week;
– that Wallace “needs all the support he can get”
&
– “it’s good for Scottish football to have the club back on a firm financial footing”
================
It begged the follow up question from the hacks;
“Does the SFA have a contingency plan in place – to protect Scottish football – just in case Wallace fails ?”
(I know, and I haven’t even had a drink yet… 🙄 )
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/graham-wallace-backed-to-fix-rangers-finances-1-3268644
CliffHanger says:
January 18, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Indeed.
In fairness given that I live in Ireland I wouldn’t be in the position to attend many.
However anytime I’ve seen the Fitba press pack up close and personal they seem to excel at soft ball questions and quick bit of copy n paste.
It gives them a quiet life and the public interest-IMO-is not served.
ianagain says:
January 18, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Places at a Presser are difficult to get.
However TSFM should have some credibility by now.
It would be easier if the person attending on behalf of the TSFM was an NUJ member with a Press Card and we do have criteria for joining.
If the MODs want to contact me privately they have my details and I will do what I can to help.
How does the Ibrox boycott of the BBC actually work?
Phil
An NUJ card doesn’t mean you’re a journalist, these guys are predominately gossip columnists, protected by cosy closed shop.
The youngsters coming up have grown up in a different culture, hopefully they’ll come through before they get ruined by the old guard.
I understand the theory that not buying the papers they write for, or listening to the radio stations they spout on, is in itself an act of not supporting their views.
But for me, highlighting the “anyone but them” attitude prominently on display funded by our compulsory license fee, is a topic which should be reported and challenged as a matter of decency toward our fellow fee paying un-equals.
Mr Clarke thank you for bringing this to my attention, have you a template letter I can attach this small picture of HM to. Thanks again.
Journalists and Pundits 🙄
Journalists are meant to ask the questions their readers want asked and Pundits , similarly , are expected to opine on the subjects their audience wants to hear . However , this is Scotland . Proper journalism and punditry doesn’t exist anymore . It has been replaced by censorship and appeasement .
The Ibrox saga has outed the journo’s and Pundits for what they’ve become , an absolute parody of the real thing . Jackson is the emptiest vessel , Keevins is a relic and Derek Johnstone is bitter hurting and deluded . Put the following statements to the three I’ve mentioned and see what the response is …
RFC 1872 are dead
David Murray is almost entirely responsible for its demise
Craig Whyte is not entirely responsible for its demise
Charles Green is not entirely responsible for its demise
A CVA removes you from administration ( see Dunfermline FC)
Liquidation removes you from existence ( see FW WOOLWORTH)
The team playing home games at Ibrox did not win a European trophy in the early 70’s.
Super Ally is destroying the new club
Spivs are raking it in and things will NEVER be the same again
The three of them would squirm like a bucket of worms .
Bob Crampsey must be spinning in his grave
The MSM tell us “Celtic need a competitive Rangers”
they don’t realise there was NEVER a competitive Rangers in the past 15+ years.
Since Celtic stopped their bid for 10 in a row, they have had £50M of debt transferred to MIH/BOS/you and me!, £40M from Enic, £20M from Dave King, £15M from NTL, £3M from the wee tax case, £14M from CW’s PAYE/VAT scam, £54M from the BTC – plus all the other creditors that were shafted in liquidation. So, at least £200M
Thats about £13.5M of “dubious” financial doping to make them competitive – EVERY YEAR
On top of the 7 “tainted” titles won in those years, they would have had a number of years in the CL and income from UEFA to boost their income…not to mention prize money for winning the league.
That is your competitive Rangers for you
Before then, Rangers had a wee run in the early 90’s as Celtic imploded, needed Fergus and the fans to oust the old board and build a new stadium , in the 80’s Rangers struggled behind an impressive Dundee Utd, Aberdeen, Hearts and celtic, and in the 70’s, Celtic dominated the domestic scene to the extent that the league had to be changed to a much reduce premier league set up
So, when was there last a genuinely competitive Rangers?
StevieBC says:
January 18, 2014 at 9:04 pm
“it’s good for Scottish football to have the club back on a firm financial footing”
_________________________________________________________________
Thousands of bears sleeping soundly in their beds tonight feeling reassured that Stewart Regan said the above. I mean, we know he did such a good job at sussing out shysters like Whyte and Green. Nothing, absolutely nothing, slips by that guy Stewart Regan.
“Well Graham, how’s things looking financially at Rangers now?”
“Oh, one or two wee things to tweek, but then all tickety boo, Stewart.”
“You just need to take me and Campbell out for a nice, succulently expensive meal and we can explain just how you’ve to pull the wool over our eyes. You know, just in case. Let’s say the 20th of March. That OK with you?”
“Not a problem with that, Stewart, I’ll contact Charles for a heads up on what you might want, he’s been very helpful in all things ‘wool pulling’ you know!”
I wonder how many updates of how things are going with the other 41 clubs we’ll get from Hampden! Might be nice if he was to comment on how Celtic’s finances are going, or at least give the impression he cares!
scapaflow says:
January 18, 2014 at 9:14 pm
An NUJ Press Card does make it easier to get press accreditation.
parttimearab says:
January 18, 2014 at 8:44 pm
‘…To be fair John he was probably referring to Damille Investments..’
——–
In connection with which, Brett Miller of Damille did actually reply to my rather tongue-in-cheek email in which I asked him what was Damille’s interest in a struggling illegitimate football club.
I could do my hack impression here, and tell you that he did not deny that the game plan was to dump the football club and strip out the assets. And I would not be telling an untruth!
But not being a Jackson, Irvine, or Traynor (what the hell happened to him, btw?) etc. I will tell the full, unvarnished truth.
His email read ” SorryJohn, are you a shareholder? Did we talk before?”
He has not so far replied to my response to that, which was to explain that many people think that Damille’s interest may indeed be the same as Laxey’s is believed to be- asset-stripping pure and simple.
I rather think that he will not reply to that. Not even if I were a shareholder, or ‘had talked before’!
TSFM says:
January 18, 2014 at 8:26 pm
‘…They are a heaving mass of testosterone, ..’
——
What?All of them? Moira Gordon and Jane included? …dear me…surely not? Or do the girls not get to attend these affairs? 😆
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:01 pm
==============================
Therein lies the problem we will forever face in Scotland. Rangers, old and new, are simply not subjected to proper scrutiny by the media. It is naked, inherent bias.
Angus1983 says:
January 18, 2014 at 7:09 pm
==========================
I can remember the early 80’s when the fight for success was between Celtic and Aberdeen, as you will too. Rangers of course had to stand on their own two feet financially at that time, and therein lies the rub. Scottish football really wasn’t bad at all at that time.
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 18, 2014 at 9:44 pm
That’s not quite what I mean.
Journalists are effectively licensed in this country, with the licencing body being the NUJ. No NUJ card, and you’ll struggle to get a job. Fine, I have no problem with professions being licensed to protect standards. Nor do I give a damn what someone writes in the op-ed pages, its opinion after all.
However, when someone consistently writes piffle in the news pages, and pretends its news, like for example the nonsense about the Easdales this morning, a story that was knocked down in less than two minutes (a Google search turned up the denial by the other company), then surely the NUJ, has a duty to uphold standards, in much the same way the BMA or the GMC does? Otherwise, its just a cosy mutual protection society. Closed shops bring responsibilities, and I don’t think, as the Hacking affair has shown, that the NUJ have lived up to theirs.
It bothers me the way ally Mcoist in some peoples eyes can do no wrong.
Does anyone know the length of his current contract ?
I’ve herd some stories about the easdales wanting to put in 20 mill to the ibrox accounts.
Surely they’re not that stupid? The thing that really drives me insane about it all is the fact the sevco fans just want some rich sugar daddy to come and answer all their prayers rather than actually turn their club into a sustainable business.
Meanwhile we sell our best or better players for profit weakening our team replace them with young potentials in hope we can turn them into good players .
do they think we do this because it’s fun?
No we do it coz it’s sustainable yes it can be frustrating but it’s sustainable.
Lord wobbly.
Thx mate for the reply and the history of the name pepperami didn’t realise that however I choose the name for very different reasons lol
scapaflow says:
January 18, 2014 at 10:30 pm
The NUJ-as the title suggests-is a trade union not a professional body like the BMA
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 18, 2014 at 10:42 pm
I’m arguing that the closed shop aspect brings with it greater responsibilities,
Edit
I’ve nothing against closed shops, when I first went to sea at 16 for a Glasgow shipping company, I had to join the MNAOA. (the personnel officer signed me up for his local Labour party at the same, I was too wet behind the ears to realise 🙂 )
If Scottish football needs a competitive Rangers in the top tier then Scottish football is finished, such a creature does not exist.
Fortunately Scottish football needs no such thing. What it needs is fair competition and a level playing field.
No amount of propaganda will change the above.
scapaflow says:
January 18, 2014 at 10:30 pm
#Hackgate was a created within News International.
They do not allow union organisation in their titles.
The story was broken by Nick Davies of the Guardian (NUJ is recognsied there).
NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet was something of a star at Leveson.
The NUJ’s evidence and proposals were heavily based on the Irish model of press regulation.
Phil
Whether it is a trade union or a professional body isn’t really the point.
Does the National Union of Journalists really think that it is acceptable for it’s members just to take press releases, put their name to them and have them published in newspapers. Does it think it is acceptable for the same people to then propagate those stories in the broadcast media.
Surely journalism involves the responsibility to actually check facts and provide balance. Not just support one position and try to convince other people to accept that as well.
That really isn’t journalism in any true sense.
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 18, 2014 at 10:51 pm
Yup, the NUJ did some good work on Leveson. However, its a bit disingenuous to imply that #Hackgate was limited to the Dirty Diggers titles, The mirror amongst others was also in the frame.
OK, put it another way, your profession is currently held in about as much public esteem as politicians and bankers, to change that means tackling the shoddier end of the profession.
Your not the only journo to have been on the receiving end of this, you should probably get T shirts made.
Have a good one.
The BMA may not be a trades union but I think you’ll find that they are THE most effective advocates for the collective interests of that particular professional elite….I speak from painful experience 🙂
upthehoops says:
January 18, 2014 at 10:26 pm
‘…..I can remember the early 80′s when the fight for success was between Celtic and Aberdeen…….Scottish football really wasn’t bad at all at that time.’
——-
And the financial madness that gripped the bigger European clubs and has so skewed the sport hadn’t got so out of hand.
Happily, there are the beginnings of attempts by UEFA to tackle the problem of reckless borrowing, non-payment of social taxes, hugely inflated player transfer fees, and so on.
It will be several years, of course, before there can be any return to the more level playing field of former times, even with the full-hearted co-operation of national associations.
With recalcitrant, obstructive, perverted founder members of UEFA (such as the SFA) it may take a little longer.
Meantime, today’s results were an excellent testament to the entertainment value of Scottish football, with the form book thrown aside as clubs demonstrated the capacity to compete on the sporting level when, broadly speaking, other things are equal.
Phil,
Thanks for the offer of assistance, but NUJ creds are available within the confines of TSFM and the Bridlington Agreement 🙂
I agree with you that the NUJ is not a regulatory body. As a sensitive occupation involved in the dissemination of what we hope are facts, journalism and the press are a political hot potato which has in the main escaped regulation.
The NUJ ARE committed to high standards in the profession, but as Phil says, the (thus far) serious abuses of press freedoms have taken place in non-union titles.
Not the NUJ’s job – nor should it be – to pass judgement on Jackson or anyone else. That should be down to the proprietor, and if he fails in that regard, then we should all be doing what I do: stop buying, listening subscribing or reading.
TSFM says:
January 18, 2014 at 11:11 pm
A commendable attitude, but its not really that simple. For one reason or another a great many people rely on the press, they should be able to do so knowing that the stuff in the news pages is actually reliable news. Mistakes will happen, but, we are way beyond honest mistakes in a lot of cases.
Anyway back to the football
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/17/sports-direct-mike-ashley-newcastle-united-profile
A question currently being asked down Ibrox way!
CliffHanger says:
January 18, 2014 at 6:54 pm
37 0 Rate This
The Tom English article in last Wednesdays Scotsman asked plenty of good obvious questions but how many have been asked at any of the press conferences since??
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
A lot more pertinent questions are being asked by hacks recently, but the problem is they don’t follow up on the weak, pathetic answers to those questions.
Graham Wallace gave answers to questions asked, but the answers were a load of waffle which left the reader no wiser.
These answers were printed as if they cleared everything up.
They didn’t.
A Jeremy Paxman would not have allowed the matter to drop.
He would have asked more questions and put pressure on Wallace to give more definitive answers.
P.S. There are no Jeremy Paxmans in the Scottish media.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/10581698/Rangers-manager-Ally-McCoist-blames-rogue-traders-for-clubs-plight.html
Ally now a financial wizard? Another CA in the making at Ibrox perhaps?
iamacant says:
January 18, 2014 at 11:38 pm
Comedy gold.
This is part of a vicious right wing conspiracy, first i have to congratulate the Daily Mail on a decent article, now the Sunday Telegraph
One way to get the right questions asked would be to invite either Mr Wallace or Mr McCoist to log in to the SFM and allow some learned posters to do the honours on behalf of all the people who read and contribute to the blog.
Has anyone on here got the access to either Gentleman (am tryin to be civilised) for this purpose? Or have I partaken of too many sherbets?
As a lifelong Alloa fan, I’m saddened (and mystified) by Sir Paul Hartley’s resignation today. He will be remembered as (a) an Alloa legend, we don’t have many, and (b) the last man to win SFL Division 3 without losing his employers 14.5 million quid.
Transfermarkt have some interesting market values for the current Ibrox squad. 😉
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/rangers-fc/startseite/verein_124.html
Click on the individual players and check out those graphs!
Famous song says:
January 19, 2014 at 12:02 am
‘ I’m saddened (and mystified) by Sir Paul Hartley’s resignation today…’
————-
That was much more of a surprise than Pat Fenlon’s decision. I listened to Hartley on radio a couple of weeks ago and he sounded eminently sensible, suitably diplomatic and modestly appreciative of his talent and acceptably ambitious.
What has happened?
Has he been offered another job?
We wait and wonder.
Is he going to Hearts?
I just hope he hasn’t taken an absolute scunner to the game.
iamacant says:
January 18, 2014 at 11:38 pm
5 0 Rate This
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/10581698/Rangers-manager-Ally-McCoist-blames-rogue-traders-for-clubs-plight.html
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Within a year Whyte – who had sold four years’ worth of season tickets to an outside agency in order to pay off the £18 million debt to Lloyds – had driven Rangers over a cliff, wilfully withholding tax deducted from staff salaries and refusing to pay bills in order to keep the club running. They were plunged into administration in February 2012 and ceased to exist in June of that year. However, a new consortium fronted by Charles Green was given exclusive rights by administrators Duff & Phelps to buy the business and assets of the old club for £5.5 million that summer.
I hope Ewing Grahame has his tin hat and flak jacket looked out to deflect the criticism he will take from the Ibrox faithful for telling the truth.
iamacant says:
January 18, 2014 at 11:38 pm
In so many ways that article has less succulent lamb about it than anything printed previously by the MSM about Rangers/TRFC and, in particular, David Murray. I doubt he’d realise it, even if it was pointed out to him, but there’s some criticism of the Salaried One too, and maybe a bit of mickey taking also. McCoist talking to a Telegraph journalist about rogue traders, as if he knows what he’s talking about. A bit different than an intimate chat with Keith Jackson, I’d suspect.
I like how Ally thinks his job as manager is to sign players. Well he certainly managed to do that. Probably reached a new world record for a 4th, then 3rd tier club. Back of a fag packet calculation, Ally! You been reading TSFM?